Food security: Ecology: Biology: GCSE (9:1)

• Food security


  Having enough food to feed a human population, this concept is becoming more challenging as population sizes are growing and the expected quality of life of most individuals is increasing

  
• Increasing birth rate


  A biological factor threatening food security, the rate of birth is significantly increasing in some countries, resulting in a growing population

  
• Changing diets


  A biological factor threatening food security, novel diets in developed countries are making scarce food resources rarer or of less value as they are transported away from their country of origin

  
• New pests and pathogens

  A biological factor threatening food security, the rate of crop production can be severely impacted by pests and pathogens

  
• Environmental changes


  A biological factor threatening food security, widespread famine can occur in periods of drought or other environmental changes

  
• Cost of agricultural inputs

  A biological factor threatening food security, agriculture can be an expensive business that has to be cost-effective for a farmer to want to grow crops or livestock

  
• Conflicts in parts of the world


  A biological factor threatening food security, conflicts and wars can severely impact access of food or water in certain areas

  
• Sustainable methods


  A method to contribute towards achieving food security that focuses on manageable food harvesting, whilst minimising impact on species abundance and the environment

  
• Intensive farming


  An efficient method of food production that restricts the transfer of energy from food animals to the environment

  
• Restricting animal movement

  An aspect of intensive farming, keeping animals in enclosed spaces prevents them from wasting energy that can be conserved for the production of meat products

  
• Controlling surrounding temperatures

  An aspect of intensive farming, keeping animals in a temperature-controlled room prevents them from expending energy for thermoregulation

  
• High protein feeds


  An aspect of intensive farming, providing animals with high quantities of protein can efficiently increase the rate of growth

  
• Antibiotics

  An aspect of intensive farming, supplying animals with antibiotics in their feed decreases the chances that individuals will become ill and will have to expend energy fighting infection

  
• Advantages of intensive farming

  Optimises the yield of food production, efficient, less space required, can help achieve food security

  
• Disadvantages of intensive farming


  Risk of antibiotic resistance, heating buildings costs money and requires energy, organisms are often kept in very inhumane conditions such as battery farms

  
• Sustainable fishing


  Fishing techniques that are manageable and focus on fish stock conservation by preventing overfishing and maintaining fish populations

  
• Fish stocks


  Populations of fish that are used as food sources, fish stocks are declining in oceans around the world

  
• Importance of maintaining fish stocks

  So that fish populations can continued to be used as sources of food, individual fish need to be able to continue breeding otherwise there is a risk that certain fish species may disappear

  
• Net size


  A controlled net size used for fishing is important for conservation as it prevents overfishing and prevents unwanted organisms such as dolphins or sharks being caught

  
• Fishing quotas

  The limits set for commercial fisheries, by capping the number of fish that can be caught, fish populations are less likely to decline and can easily recover